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could it be keto flu ?

Charis1213

Well-Known Member
Messages
513
Location
Lincolnshire
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
I felt ill yesterday , no energy headache weak and depressed, i went to a family party and was miserable there was one thing to eat at the buffet , a tiny bit of salad and i scraped tuna out of a sandwich, i was starving hungry all day and ended up scoffing a few strawberries and double cream which actually made me feel better, i ate bacon and nine eggs throughout the day with loads of butter , I've still got headache this morning took some paracetomol , feel really down , weighed myself and lost one pound which i had put on during last week, this coming friday will be one month since starting keto and ive only lost ten pounds , i feel deprived i feel its not for me . I want to lose another three stone and at this rate its going to take forever , i just feel that i am being punished for being diabetic .
I am going to disneylanparis in february full board and i fear it will be ruined becausee of boring food Yesterday i cried and cried cos i just felt lousy
 

You sound so down. Big hug. Low carb shouldn’t keep you constantly hungry or lack of variety. Nine eggs in one day is a lot! I think I’d feel lousy after that many. Are you eating this every day or do you vary it. I do find parties hard as no one caters for people doing low carb but a glass of wine usually makes me less bothered! Are you drinking enough water/fluids?

I follow keto (very low carb) and usually goes something like this. 2 eggs for breakfast, lunch is a chicken and avocado salad with full fat mayo or a sandwich with low carb head, snacks are nuts or crispy bacon, dinner is lamb or chicken and green veggies may have celeriac in a Sunday.

Holidays can be a pain but there is usually something nice to eat and a place like Disney should be able to make substitutions. I’d probably try to stick to my low carving as much as possible but not to the point it makes you unhappy. In holiday i did my best but was so pleased when I got home that I have done so well and been strong. You still have to live though and you need to be happy or you will never last on LC long term. Best of luck.
 
Could you tell us what you eat across a typical day? A properly formulated ketogenic diet shouldn’t be leaving you feeling deprived and hungry. Quite the opposite. Sounds like you’re just eating low carb and not displacing the carbohydrate with enough fat.
 
@Charis1213 , you do indeed sound really down. A 10lb weight loss in one month is amazing, particularly if you are still taking medications that promote weight gain.

The tricks for parties are as follows,

1. If it is somebody you know well who is supportive ask in advance what is the food and ask for a couple of amendments, separate dishes of food that are suitable for you. A dish of tuna and egg mayonnaise for instance with crusty bread to eat with it would be an alternative to sandwiches and no more work for the host.

2. Ask if you could contribute a couple of dishes yourself to the buffet table (because you know that I’m following this restricted diet and it will save you the trouble).

Or if you don’t have that relationship with the host

3. Eat before you go, then you can just eat a tiny amount of ‘legal’ stuff that is available and you won’t feel hungry and angry!

You could indeed be having ‘Carb Flu’, this comes about due to low Sodium levels because the diet is a natural diuretic. Increase your salt intake, I prefer to use natural unrefined sea salt which I believe to be healthier. In the early days, drinking a cup of broth made with a stock cube and boiling water (make sure it’s not a low salt stock cube) might be all that is required to ‘do the trick’

But, most importantly, I think you need to vary your diet a lot so that you are not constantly feeling deprived. It is a change forever, not a quick fix, so you need to include satisfying and delicious food to sustain it for the long term.

And very importantly, on injected insulin or any medication which can lead to hypos you need to watch you blood glucose very carefully, and if necessary lower your medications, maybe low blood glucose is making you feel so down?

But don’t be down, and going to Disneyland full board should be no problem, there may be a full breakfast available, there is bound to be meat / fish / salad for lunch and meat / fish and above ground veggies for dinner, it’s probably going to be a buffet service and you can just select ‘legal’ stuff - it’s easy, honestly!
 
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Thanks everyone, I usually have bacon eggs mushroom and sliced tomato for breakfast, then for lunch I have a side salad with either a tin of tuna or sardines , for tea i do vegetables such as cabbage green beans brussels sprouts broccoli and chicken fried with garlic and butter , and i do a few berries with double whipped cream and that is my food for the day , if i get peckish i will eat some grated cheese and cucumber , i do have a dash of mayo on my salad .

Yesterday was the worse day for me I cried and I was so weak and hungry .

I don't normally eat 9 eggs in a day , its usually two for breakfast and that's it , but yesterday i craved them and i craved double cream too which i did eat .

I'm about to make a big breakfast of streaky bacon egg mushrooms and sliced tomato .

I had two cups of coffee when i woke up with double cream and I have to say I feel like i am almost back to normal , could it be not enough fat ?
 
Fat is your problem I reckon. More is bettter. Even if it means displacing some protein.

If you’re hungry then you’re not getting enough fat.
 
Your typical diet sounds, lovely, better than 9 eggs a day! Try a bit more salt, it might make all the difference!

Another thing that I do is have specific little ‘legal’ treats. Mid morning every day I have a freshly brewed coffee with double cream floated on the top and a single square of 85% chocolate (took me a while to get used to it, started off with just a nibble but now I love it). And yes, berries and double cream sometimes.

I want to emphasise again, 10lbs in a month is a good loss! I have lost a total of 60lb (27kilos) but I looked as though I had lost a lot more weight than I actually had, all the way through, because you lose weight from all the right places on LCHF! Just stick with it, weigh no more than once a week, check blood glucose regularly and also measure regularly (or if you have some clothes that are a bit too tight or don’t fit right now, try them on regularly and make ‘targets’). You need to get yourself some ‘short term rewards’ - like those jeans fitting, or whatever! And remember, weight loss on LCHF is rarely linear, you might appear to be stuck for a week or two or three, then suddenly lose 4 or 5 lbs in a week. But keep at it and the weight will go, and your diabetes control will be so much better, it is worth it, trust me!
 
Also don’t snack. All you’re doing is releasing insulin for the sake of minimal caloric intake. Far better to eat a full meal when you’re hungry. If you’re hungry too often then each meal doesn’t contain enough fat and/or protein. Snacking really is the giveaway sign, and it’s also deleterious to a fully effective low-carb eating plan, where the goal is minimal insulin secretion at all times.
 
thanks , just occasionally i snack . Normally i am not hungry just the past few days .
 


Thanks, you're right and the only bonus from last night was that i felt slim and wore a top that was too tight but now fits loosely and some jeggings that fit me now and i did feel confident so although i felt depressed yesterday that did cheer me up and now today I've had a full cooked breakfast , the sun is shining and we are just getting ready to go out to a Christmas market with our son daughter in law and six year old grandson . I feel much better today and really appreciate the support and encouragement on here

thank you x
 
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Charis1213 said:
where can I get low carb bread from ?
Click to expand...

My favourite is LivLife from Waitrose (and other places I assume). 3.8 carbs per (small) slice. Such a hit the whole family eats it. Full of seeds and lasts/freezes well.
 
Charis1213 said:
where can I get low carb bread from ?
Click to expand...
TESCO do a high protein loaf which is 10 carbs per slice. I normally have one slice loaded with filling followed by Greek yoghurt with berries for my lunch when I’m at work.
 
Because you are trying to lose weight as well as control your diabetes, I would give low carb bread a miss until you get there, personally. Or eat it in tiny quantities. When LIDL did low carb rolls I used to slice each roll vertically into 8 tiny slices, freeze, and never eat more than one or two slices at a meal. But it’s safer to substitute alternatives. I use a lettuce leaf to roll around what would have been a sandwich filling - or just have my ‘sandwich filling’ on a plate without the bread. Pate etc, I use celery sticks instead of toast. I think that bread can be problematic, particularly for people who love bread!

But now I’m more or less at my goal weight and HbA1c 29, I might buy myself a loaf from Waitrose, sounds lovely, and treat myself to half a slice to mop up my egg yolk on ‘full English’ days!
 
I've made my own out of coconut flour ,

Nutrition Facts
Rosemary and Garlic Coconut Flour Bread
https://www.ketoconnect.net/coconut-flour-bread/




Amount Per Serving
Calories 147Calories from Fat 113

% Daily Value*
Total Fat 12.5g19%
Total Carbohydrates 3.5g1%
Dietary Fiber 2g8%
Protein 4.6g9%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
 

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I know what you mean , I;m not a big bread eater never have been, I just feel there is a need for variety and we are going out for the day this coming SUnday with our son daughter in law and grandson and we want to take a pack up so thought the bread would be good for that, the one I have made is supposed to cut 10 slices but i've sliced 17 so they are thinner , I will fill them with tuna and salad, the bread isn't very big anyway but its a nice change, we will have some in the morning with a couple of boiled eggs for a change . I think its important to have some variety or bordeom will set in and I am struggling at the moment with muscle weakness and tiredness on and off .
 
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